Since Danjel Purifoy was reinstated March 20 and the roster seemed primed for a “Final Four or bust” season, Auburn lost backup point guard Davion Mitchell to a transfer request and two-year leading scorer Mustapha Heron to the NBA Draft.
The last Tiger with a strong possibility of going pro is Austin Wiley, but the clock is ticking. With a sparse backcourt, Bruce Pearl could be looking at developing VCU transfer Samir Doughty into a backup point guard role.
MORE: Auburn guard Mustapha Heron declares for NBA Draft
If Pearl goes in that direction, it may just be temporary if Auburn succeeds in landing a big-name point guard like five-star 2019 guard Ashton Hagans, who decommited from Georgia Feb. 26 and re-opened his recruiting process. This was a promising sign for the Tigers, who were on Hagans’ shortlist before his commitment to UGA.
On the 2019 recruiting trail, Auburn boasts just one commitment, that of four-star power forward Babatunde Akingbola. The Power Springs, Georgia product could provide depth down low earlier however, if he is able to reclassify to 2018.
When Auburn was ranked in the top 5 of multiple media outlets after the national championship game, the assumption was that Heron would stay. Now, the Tigers will likely be viewed as SEC contenders again, but will need big production from Purifoy, who should take over Heron’s starting role at small forward.
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART – 2018
POINT GUARD:
Jared Harper – Jr.
SHOOTING GUARD:
Bryce Brown – Sr.
Samir Doughty – Jr.
Devontae Williams – Jr.
Will Macoy – Jr.
SMALL FORWARD:
Danjel Purifoy – Jr.
Malik Dunbar – Sr.
POWER FORWARD:
Anfernee McLemore – Jr.
Desean Murray – Sr.
Chuma Okeke – So.
Thomas Collier – Jr.
CENTER:
Austin Wiley – Jr.
Horace Spencer – Sr.
Cole Blackstock – Sr.
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